The parish of Ballinaglera is situated in mid Co. Leitrim along the northern half of the Eastern shore of Lough Allen. It includes 1,792 acres of that lake extending westwards in which portion Inch Island is situated.

A bit of Local History . . .

"Just The Way It Was" , published in 2006 by Thomas Gilrane. It details a traditional farm life & childhood in Ballinaglera - and his story of immigration. It is a fascinating journey, and one that was common for thousands of Irish families in the early 1900’s. He tells his story as he remembers it.Get it on Amazon.com.

More from Tom . . .

His latest book, published in Dec 2016, “Rambling with Tom”, is a collection of short stories, classic Irish poetry and Irish folklore along with interesting and amusing snippets from days gone by. Rambling is the word used to describe the evening visits and storytelling with neighbors in the Irish countryside. Get it on Amazon.com.

About Leitrim (Liatroim, meaning "Grey Ridge")
In the Gaelic divisions which preceded the seventeenth century, most of Leitrim, along with Cavan, was part of the kingdom of Bréifne. Leitrim became known as Bréifne O'Rourke, while Cavan was Bréifne O'Reilly. The O'Rourkes ruled the territory for more than 700 years until the final dispossessions of the seventeenth century.

Geographically, the north and south of the county are quite distinct, with wet lowlands to the south and a series of plateaus in the north.

Leitrim today is a sparsely populated region of bogs, hills and lakes, with a lonely beauty all its own. It is difficult to imagine how it must have been in 1841, before the Famine, when it had a population more than five times the present level, the vast majority living in the most abject poverty.

Ballinaglera Beauty, Culture, Nature, History,
. . . and a place to feel at home in Leitrim County